Elk River at Charleston water level

Name: Elk River at Charleston water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Elk River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

24.90ft Down 0.35 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 3,890 cfs
Water temperature: 60 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Elk River at Charleston shows 24.90 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The level is falling, down 0.35 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 24.81 ft and 25.86 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 60 °F.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

High water at Elk River at Charleston

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Elk River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elk River below Webster SpringsRiver gauge, Elk River	5.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	64 mi
Elk River at SuttonRiver gauge, Elk River	14.48 ft	High	−0.81 ft	54 mi
Elk River near FrametownRiver gauge, Elk River	4.39 ft	High	−0.64 ft	43 mi
Elk River at ClayRiver gauge, Elk River	4.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.94 ft	30 mi
Elk River at Queen ShoalsRiver gauge, Elk River	7.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kanawha River at S Side Bridge at CharlestonRiver gauge, Kanawha River	8.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	0.9 mi
Elk Twomile Creek near CharlestonRiver gauge, Elk Twomile Creek	2.35 ft	Below flood stage	±0	1.8 mi
Kanawha River at CharlestonRiver gauge, Kanawha River	14,100 cfs	High	−3,400.0 cfs	4.2 mi
Little Sandy Creek near ElkviewRiver gauge, Little Sandy Creek	20.3 cfs	Very high	−10.9 cfs	10 mi
Pocatalico River at SissonvilleRiver gauge, Pocatalico River	3.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.40 ft	12 mi
Coal River at TornadoRiver gauge, Coal River	10.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	12 mi
Big Coal River at AshfordRiver gauge, Big Coal River	3.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.30 ft	13 mi
Hurricane Creek at HurricaneRiver gauge, Hurricane Creek	5.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	21 mi

Questions and answers

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Elk River at Charleston today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT, the water level was 24.90 ft. Down 0.35 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Elk River at Charleston rising or falling?

Down 0.35 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Elk River at Charleston normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03197950 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.35815, -81.62707 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	24.90 ft	2026-10-19 09:45	Provisional
Flow	3,890 cfs	2026-10-19 09:35	Provisional
Water temperature	60 °F	2026-10-19 09:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elk River at Charleston (usgs:03197950). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/elk-river-at-charleston

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer